1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of non-woven spun-lace fabrics, and in particular to the production of such fabrics having a specific pattern or design only in designated areas thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The production of non-woven textile fabrics is known in the art. Such a fabric is one produced directly from fibers without the use of conventional spinning, weaving, or knitting operations. A non-woven fabric can be made to resemble a woven fabric in appearance, when suitably manufactured.
Generally, such fabrics are manufactured by placing a fibrous web onto a woven screen. High-pressure water jets are then directed vertically down onto the web to entangle the fibers with each other. At the same time, the resulting entangled web acquires a surface pattern corresponding to that of the supporting screen surface. The finer the mesh of the supporting screen, the finer will be the surface pattern of the non-woven fabric. In this way, the product can closely resemble a woven fabric in appearance.
The surface pattern results from the knuckles of the woven screen used to support the fibrous web. Where the strands in one direction in the woven screen weave over those in the other, the knuckles so formed represent raised points on the surface of the screen. The high-pressure water jets will tend to wash the fibers from these points, while entangling those in other areas surrounding the knuckles. Consequently, the product non-woven fabric will have a regular pattern of holes corresponding to the raised knuckles on the woven screen.